British Man Fined Rs 30,000 For Spitting A Leaf That Blew Into His Mouth

A British man has gone viral after he was fined approximately Rs 30,337 (250 pounds) for spitting out a leaf that blew into his mouth. Roy Marsh, 86, was in Lincolnshire, England, earlier this year when he incurred the heavy fine for the innocuous act, prompting him to take legal recourse.

"As I was sitting there, a gale blew a big reed into my mouth. I spat it out, and just as I got up to walk away, two [enforcement officers] came up to me," Marsh was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Marsh explained that he was reprimanded as he stopped for a rest while walking across the South Parade Car Park. After one of the officers claimed Marsh had been spitting on the floor, the octogenarian called him a 'silly boy'.

Despite his protest, Marsh was fined Rs 30,337 (250 pounds), a penalty later reduced on appeal to Rs 18,2020 (150 pounds), which he was forced to pay.

"They [Enforcement officers] are taking it too far. There needs to be discretion about how they [enforcement officers] issue fines. If it looks like a genuine accident, then give people the opportunity to apologise and pick it up," said Adrian Findley, a county councillor, adding that other "angry residents" who had recounted similar experiences had approached him recently.

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'Unreasonably Harassing And Terrorising'

Marsh's daughter, Jane Marsh Fitzpatrick, took to social media to slam the authorities for penalising his asthmatic father, who was only out and about on a daily walk.

"I am disgusted at what I am being told !! Recently, dad who has walking difficulties but does his best to walk every day around the boating lake, inhaled a small leaf that made him choke," wrote Fitzpatrick in a Facebook post.

"Dad has severe asthma and a heart condition, he managed to cough up the leaf and spit it out. ( just the leaf). He was immediately approached by the local enforcement officer who was incredibly rude to him told him he had violated the law by spitting and fined him."

Fitzpatrick added that the officers routinely victimised and harassed older people without giving them a chance to explain themselves.

"While it is important to keep our town clean, and yes I absolutely agree, the beach is often left in a disgusting state, these officers are unreasonably harassing and terrorising older people and it is a total disgrace !! How can we stop them?"

East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) in a statement said the patrols were "not targeted at any specific demographic" and are "not discriminatory."